


Jackrabbit Week 2015

by lcblip



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Jackrabbit Week, M/M, Tumblr, pompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 11:38:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3690864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcblip/pseuds/lcblip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jackrabbit Week 2015!<br/>1. Home<br/>2. Hunting/Healing<br/>3. High<br/>4. Hurt</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time doing Jackrabbit week, and I hope you all like it!

People had a saying about home. Home is where the heart is, or so they say. It was where you didn’t have to hide; somewhere you’d always be accepted. It was a place that would warm your heart when you felt alone.

The only problem with that, for me, was I didn’t have a home. 

I’d always just slept where the wind took me. It had been hilarious when the other’s had asked. North had sputtered and clearly didn’t want to believe it. It took Tooth and Sandy to make him believe. Tooth because she knows I don’t lie, and Sandy because he’s seen me flit about, snoozing in trees and snowbanks.

Bunny had stayed oddly quiet; I expected some kind of sarcastic quip, or even just a laugh, but I got nothing. His green eyes seemed fixed on me for the remainder of the meeting, though; thoughtful and deep.

~*~*~

Three weeks later found me hovering at one of the few entrances to the Warren. Easter had gone off without a hitch and, as promised, I didn’t try to break in during his season; so I felt I deserved some leftover chocolate.

The grass was cool against my bare feet as I landed. The Warren, in its infinite springtime, was as beautiful as always; the flowers seemed to almost glow with life, the color river glittered innocently, birdsong lilted through the trees… God I loved it here.

“There ya are, mate.” 

I smirked at the Australian strine as I turned. Bunny hopped leisurely up the hill to me with a slight frown; my own smirk dropped.

“What’s up, Cottontail? I didn’t do anything wrong yet, but already it expecting it, huh?” I attempted to pull some humor out of my proverbial hat, but the Pooka was having none of it.

“Nah, Jackie. Nothin’ o’ the sort.” He shrugged, holding out a furry arm to motion me forward. We began a slow pace back down the hill. “Been thinkin’ ‘bout what ya said at the meetin’, is all.” I gave him a questioning glance and offhandedly frosted a trail along jutting rock. “’bout not… not havin’ a home.”

“Is that what has you so serious? Geeze, Bunny!” I chortled. Flinging myself into the air I flung a snowball at my overly serious friend; leave the fuzzball to overthink everything!

He honked and threw some colorful words my direction as we raced around his glen, eventually it led to me trying to keep up with him as he zipped and lunged through rocks and trees. When he finally skid to a halt, it was in front of….well to be honest it looked like a hobbit hole, with no door. I landed softly next to him, my expression that of an intensely curious child. He smiled fondly at me.

“This is mah burrow.” He said proudly. “Come on in, Snowflake.”

~*~*~

His house was amazing; all packed earth and winding halls. It smelled like warm, wet soil and rain. He had showed me his living areas, his kitchen; the storage rooms had been awesome, there was so much cool stuff hidden in those closets! I made a mental note come back and raid them in the near future. My favorite room was, by far, his globe room.  


It was polished copper, and glittering green lights sparkled over its surface. Sights like this would never get old, and it filled me with hope that one day I would have my own shining globe full of believers. That’s when I noticed it; a small cluster of pale blue lights on the North East coast of America. I flew up, excitement flooding me as I grinned. Bunny stood, watching me proudly.

“Are these mine?” I asked him. He nodded and motioned for me to come down.

“Look Jackie, you not havin’ a home worries me. Ya need a place ya can call yer own.” He stopped me with a raised paw when I tried to interrupt. “I know ya like to go where that wind o’ yers takes ya, but… I wanted ya to know, that.. that ya always have a place here. In the Warren…. With me.” He finished his thought quietly, ears dropping flat against his head and neck. He looked away bashfully as the weight of his offer finally hit me and I frosted an icy blush.

Bunny wanted me to move in with him. He wanted to share his home with me. He wanted to share his heart with me… 

I fiddled with my staff, wringing my hands across it, suddenly bashful and shy. “Home is where the heart is, I guess.” I murmured, glancing up at him through the fringe of my bangs; he was looking at me earnestly, ears perking up and taking notice. “If that’s true, then this has been home for a long time ‘Roo.”

End.


	2. Hunting/Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A combo of the second and third prompts for Jackrabbit week 2015

Hunting/Healing

Aster was a vegetarian, he didn’t do meat. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to hunt. He was an intelligent, skilled, strong Pooka warrior; tracking came as naturally to him as his spring magic did.

Currently he was bounding through the wintery woods outside of Burgess, Pennsylvania. He was on the prowl for a certain, young winter spirit. The boy had been on his mind more than he should have been lately, doing less that reputable things. They’d been flirting around each other for months now, and Bunny had had just about enough of it. Jack had hinted at his feelings and openness to a relationship with him countless times. So now he was going to do something about it.

Pooka courting was really quite simple: after the initial meeting, there would be a brief time to get to know the other, since most mated pairs grew up in the same clan it was a shorter period. After the acceptance of mutual feelings there came the chase. The instigator would track their intended; if they were successful, when the other as found, they would either initiate the chase or turn the tracker down. 

Aster hoped beyond the stars that Jack would run as he loped through the trees. The cold wind exhilarated him, filled his lungs with crisp pine and the scent of snow. Then he caught it- the minty freshness that only came from Jack.

He veered left, legs pumping, forepaws trudging through the snow. His eyes were trained on the trees, for any sign of the well-worn navy hoodie the eternal teen seemed to always wear. His ears fixated on every little noise, any crack of a branch, crunch of leaves; all he heard was the rhythmic thumping of his own limbs. The scent of Jack led him through the woods, and he remembered this area.

Excitement shot through him; the scent was leading him to Jack’s pond.

He ran faster, quickening his legs and arms. The thought of Jack flitting off, starting the chase invaded his mind. Oh how he wanted that. To chase beautiful, laughing, powerful Jack through the woods, to watch him flit through the air and shout taunts at him made a pleasant warmth blossom on his chest.

Aster skid to a stop in front of the glassy, frozen surface of Jack’s pond and lifted onto his haunches to sniff the air. Jack’s scent was all over this place, weaker in some places and stronger in others. He breathed deep, eyes closed and mouth open, trying to pinpoint the strongest scent trail. He needn’t have tried so hard; from above him, off to his left, a mischievous ringing laugh broke through the silence.

“Hey there, Cottontail.” Jack called, landing deftly onto a branch twenty feet above the Pooka.

“Jackie.” Bunny nodded, a fond smirk growing on his face. “Yer a hard man ta find.” 

Jack smirked, a confident thing, and twirled his staff as he slowly descended. He gently touched down onto the snow at the foot of the pond and gazed at the Pooka. Aster watched the boy’s blue eyes rake over his form and darken. His own eyes raked over the exposed skin of Jack’s stomach as the teen stretched.

“I’m even harder to catch, ‘Roo.” He purred, the sound shot through Aster like fire. Yes! This is what he wanted, what he wished and hoped for! Jack was initiating the chase! Jack was testing him, giving him a chance to prove himself. Well, if the show pony wanted a chase, he’d sure as hell give him one!

Jack leapt into the sky with a whoop, laughing at the animalistic excitement that took over Bunny’s face. He watched as Aster shot after him with a growl. He flew high over the tops of trees and over the rocky terrain; who said he was going to make this easy on the fur ball? The height didn’t seem to deter his would-be suitor. Aster jumped and leapt through the forest below to keep an eye on him, no doubt biding his time for when Jack would have to descend to a lower altitude. He could wait, there was no way the boy could outrun him.

Over hills and through thickets, across slippery ice patches half frozen mud slicks he followed Jack. With a smirk he noticed the boy beginning to drop, albeit slowly. Aster growled as he pumped his legs faster. It wouldn’t be long now! As he continued to inch closer and closer to his target his nerves finally made themselves known. Sure this was how the end of the courting process came about, but he worried if Jack would feel comfortable mating if he, well… when he, was caught.

Snow smacked him right in the face, making him stumble and roll; slush and mud and twigs and leaves dug into his fur as he snarled at the hysterical laughter above him. Jack had stopped in midair to guffaw at the fallen Bunny. The Pooka shook his head to help dislodge some of the debris and glared up at his intended. His mind ticked, ancient gears grinding as a devious plan began to form and he had to try hard to stifle his smirk as he turned away, tapping his foot and quickly disappearing down a hole. Aster popped up not two seconds later, about a hundred feet from where he dropped; eager to see the reaction from the eternal teenager. He got something he didn’t expect.

Jack had zipped down to the ground and was pacing around the red tulip that had popped up. His face was set in a worried scrunch as he gripped tight to his staff. He was muttering and pacing and wringing his hands… Aster had expected some sarcastic taunting, not to see those beautiful eyes glass over.

“What..? I thought… They said this was the last thing… Did he change his mind?” Jack worried, biting his lip and furrowing his brows. Suddenly he stopped; head snapping up and eyes going wide. “Oh no… I crossed a line…” Aster’s heart cracked as a lone, icy tear slipped down his cheek. Jack jumped into the wind, staying at a low hover and began to shout.

“Bunny!” He yelled, one hand cupping the side of his mouth. Jack looked frantically around him, eyes searching the thick woods around him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Jack continued to scan the woods, turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees, once, twice, and finally three times. “Aster, please…” 

Jack’s broken whisper wafted through the air and stung the Easter spirit’s ears. He flinched as the tone settled in his chest; then once more, more violently; green eyes blowing wide as he recognized the bitter, crushing weight of dying hope. Aster sucked in a breath as he watched Jack slowly sink back to the ground, each inch gained was another bit of hope lost.

Bunny lunged out of the bushes, focused solely on ridding that thought from his snowflake. He needed Jack to know he loved him, that he would never let the boy be alone again. Jack needed to understand how much Aster needed him, cherished him and all that he was, right down to the crooked grin and annoyingly perfection that was Jack Frost. 

One last, mighty leap and Bunny had a confused armful of frost sprite. Jack had his hands fisted in the fur of his arms, and knees pulled up against his chest. The boy’s expression changed from worry to guilt as he wrapped pale arms around Aster’s neck buried his face into the ruff of the Pooka’s neck.

“I’m sorry, Bunny.” 

It was the only thing Aster could make out as Jack apologized quickly and quietly. He let the boy get it all out; never once letting on that he felt the tremors or the wetness that matted his fur. He just ran his large forepaws up and down Jack’s back and buried his nose into the mop of white hair, purring loudly, to show the boy how content he was. 

“Hush now, sweetheart. Nothin’ to be sorry fer. I’m the one who should be sayin’ that.” Aster mumbled dejectedly, ears plastering themselves to the back of his head and neck. Jack said nothing, just gripped his fur tighter as he tried to press more firmly against the being who held him. “I shouldn’t have done that to ya, and I’m sorry.” 

Jack shook his head against Aster’s chest, nuzzling into the fur as he slid his cool hands up and over broad shoulders, wrapping around his thick neck. “Can ya forgive me, Jackie? I never want ya to feel like I don’t want ya; never want to feel yer hope dying like that again…” Even speaking about diminishing hope brought a horrid taste to his mouth, like having the misfortune of biting into spoiled fruit that had been set out in the sun for days. Aster gently nudged Jack back to look him in the eye. Aster had never had the courage to say these three little words, but to make Jack believe… he was willing to put his heart out there.

“I do love ya, Jack. Don’t ever doubt it.”

The pale teen just stared at him… all wide eyed and opened mouth; Aster had the stray thought of one of those bug eyed goldfish that Sophie was so adamant about asking North for. It was starting to get nerve wracking just watching the range of emotion that flowed through those blue eyes. 

After what seemed to be eons, Jack smile- large and wide. 

Aster thought he was going to say something meaningful, maybe get an ‘I love you’ back. He thought of a few eloquent little speeches that would lead to sweet kisses, and even sweeter caresses. What he got, though, was pure Jack Frost.

“You caught me, Cottontail.” He smirked, waggling his eyebrows; his smirk buckled under the weight of held back chuckles and Bunny tried to be annoyed, he really did. But laughter was contagious and soon the usually serious Guardian was giggling as well.

“That I did, mate.” Aster said smiling serenely. “Ya sure ya want eternity with me? Pooka mate fer life, ya know.” 

Jack tightened his arms, bringing his bunny down to his level and firmly pressing his lips to Aster’s. “I was sure about eternity with you when you started this whole thing. That’s not going to change now, not that I’d ever want that.” He chuckled and rubbed their noses together. Aster purred, delighted at his answer; he was content on how his ‘hunt’ turned out. He got his prize, his mate, and that was more than enough. The actual mating could come later. He didn’t need sex to prove to Jack how much he cared.

Suddenly the end of his nose was covered in frost; he yelped and jerked his head away, glaring at his new mate with all the consternation he could muster. Jack just smirked up at him, though his countenance lacked the cocky confidence. Instead a quiet peacefulness settled in his smile.

“I love you too, Aster.”

End.


	3. High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is SOOOOOOO late!

4/8-High

The mountains were a place that Aster truly enjoyed. He always loved running about the forests and climbing the rock faces, but he never advertised that fact. Heaven forbid if Jack ever found out about his little hobby. The boy would never let him live it down. Aster could hear it now, ‘Oh come on, Cottontail! You climbed Mount Everest, but you can’t handle the sleigh?’ The show pony would probably even try to take him flying.

Him! Flying! 

Aster scoffed as he dug the claws of one great hindpaw into the rock face and continued his ascent up the mountain face. He thought a lot, when he climbed, getting the chance to categorize his thoughts and feelings on a multitude of different areas of his immortality- and Jack had been on his mind quite a bit lately. 

The young winter sprite had bulldozed his presence onto the proud Pooka, and Aster found himself, more often than not, not minding. It was pleasant, the occasional chilly breeze that wound through his warren signaling Jack’s arrival. 

He’d even begun to teach Jack a few things, after finding the boy bruised, bloody, and battered on more occasions than he could count. Tai chi was helping to calm the teen from his in-your-face-here-let-me-help’s, and he’d taken quite well to the Shaolin Kung Fu style of fighting; the boy could twist and flit about, adding his own personal spins on things that took Aster’s breath away in its beauty and gracefulness.

“C’mon, Aster. Can’t even go a bloody day without thinkin’ of the gumby. What am I? Some lovesick-” He paused in his self-mockery, hearing a barking laugh followed by high-pitched tweeting. He climbs further up, just to the edge of the cliff and lifts his nose, sniffing gently at the blowing breeze. His eyes widen and he hunches as low as he can on the rock face.

Jack. 

Jack was up there, with Baby Tooth. That was his laugh.

Quirking up one long ear he listened to the excided boy ramble.

“It’s so great, though! He actually let me taste test some of his chocolate. Did you know that his eggs are actually chocolate? And they’re all different! You wouldn’t believe how creepy it was to eat those little boogers while the legs are still moving. It almost made me feel like a cannibal.” Jack was silent for a breath while the tiny fairy chirped away before letting out a loud guffaw.

“Yeah, right. Why do you think I go to the ends of the earth just to talk to you about this?” 

Aster frowned, Jack’s voice took on a sadder tone, almost defeated, and he could feel the small glimmer of hope in the boy’s chest dwindle a bit.

“No, it’s… I just really like him, ya know? He was the first one to see me in almost a hundred and fifty years. I always thought I was invisible to everyone but he could see me, he could touch me… I’m happy with the way things are. It would be stupid to hope for more than that.”

Stupid? How could Jack say that? It was never stupid to hope. Hope made you try to be better, to make yourself happier than you thought you could be. Aster crouched low and continued to eavesdrop, resolutely ignoring the twang of guilt that settled in his stomach. 

Baby Tooth chirped on, wagging her little fingers and finally fluffing her feathers as she finished what sounded like an enthusiastic speech. Jack just shook his head with a rueful smile, bringing his cupped hands up to cradle the tiny fairy.

“I’m not ever going to tell him, Baby Tooth. I can’t.” Jack paused and took a breath. “How do you think he would take that kind of confession? ‘Hey there Cottontail! Just wanted to let you know I get all kinds of hot and bothered when I’m near you!’ or maybe ‘I wanna jump your bones, Bunny!’” 

Tooth’s head helper twittered with wide eyes and brought her hands to cover her mouth. Aster smiled as Jack laughed, for real this time, and nuzzled his nose against her tiny head. “I know it wouldn’t go well if I said it like that. I was trying to make a point. But seriously- if I told Aster that… that I love him… he’d hate me. And I can’t handle being hated, not from him.” Jack leveled a serious stare at his miniscule companion and brought one hand up to point a finger at her.

“You have to promise not to say anything.”

Baby Tooth chirped again and made an ‘X’ over her heart with her finger before flitting up and kissing Jack softly on the nose before flying away. Duty calls, Aster presumed.  


He watched at Jack stood and stretched, the ratty blue hoodie riding up to reveal a small sliver of pale stomach and hip before he too took to the skies, no doubt heading back to the Pole. Aster himself thumped his hindpaw and made a tunnel to his own home; there were things he needed to think over.

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Lists were his friend. They always had been. Aster made them when he was upset, or when he was feeling out of sorts to try and figure out why. That’s what he was doing now: sitting at his desk with a nub of a pencil scribbling furiously on hos parchment. 

He was categorizing his thoughts on the one who had been plaguing them as of late: Jack Frost.

His pro list was long, embarrassingly so. With little things he’d noticed about the younger spirit. Most were physical, but some he actually put thought into; like how Jack was always offering to help, or how he was always around for a story of epic proportions to cheer someone up, he was always there for Jamie and would look after Sophie for him. He was caring and kind to the children, and almost anyone else he happened to meet, save for Groundhog, and would always offer a handshake with a smile.

Jack would help him with Easter, herding the googies were a favorite of his. He was a wonderful taste tester, always full of opinions and helpful criticism- human taste buds were a bit different than his own apparently. And he would readily admit to feeling stronger in the years since Jack’s forced assistance. He could feel the children’s hope as they searched for his eggs, and their burst of hope fulfilled when they were found. It had helped his energy levels immensely, as well as gave him a much healthier glow.

His con list was shorter, and if he was honest with himself, seemed to be reaching. Nothing that he’d written, save for the bolded and all capital ‘IMMATURE’ and ‘SO YOUNG’, could really stand on its own. In fact, he found most of the con’s list to be endearing.

At the bottom of the list was a simple sentence: What would hurt worse: to try or not?

He decided it would hurt more to not try and never know.

~*~*~Line~*~*~

He’d gone and pulled Jack aside at the next meeting. He showed the winter spirit his lists and explained ever single line on each of them. He had everything set up like a personal speech, even mentioning what he’d heard between Baby Tooth and Jack on the mountain; he’d smiled softly as the frost bloomed over the boy’s cheeks, neck, and ears. 

And when he’d softly nuzzled Jack’s chilly forehead and told him how he’d want to try and see if they could fall in love… Aster had never felt so high.

 

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But it's a 2 chapter update!


	4. Hurt

4/9-Hurt

Tooth hated that she felt bitter, hated even more how she acted towards them now. She knew they could tell what she was thinking, knew she was angry and hurt and unsupportive. It was supposed to be her that ended up with Jack, not Bunny. 

All they did was fight and bicker with each other; how could he make Jack happy like that? He was supposed to be spoiled and loved and cuddled for the rest of eternity! Not put down and ignored and shouted at- hadn’t the poor boy gotten enough of that? But no. Bunny had come to North two weeks before Christmas and had informed them all that he and Jack were involved. Romantically. 

Jack had been a nervous wreck, wanting nothing but happiness and support from them all, and he’d gotten it from everyone but her. She’d put on a happy smile for him, not wanting to be the odd one out as he smiled and laughed in relief. But she’d grown to silently hate the Pooka. She’d gone out of her way to be uncharacteristically mean and spiteful; flippantly dissing his egg designs or planting seeds of doubt about presents Bunny would bring for approval. She would nitpick just about everything he did, even if it didn’t involve Jack. 

Bunnymund had even called her out on it one meeting, shooting up from his seat and pointing an accusatory finger at her as he hissed and snarled. He called her a hypocrite, an embarrassment to the Guardian title, and petty. He demanded to know why she was acting this way and threatened to beat it out of her if she refused to say. Jack’s horrified look warmed her; she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, even if he did choose Bunny. 

Her pride was quickly cut short as Jack flew from his seat to hover in front of the Pooka. He cradled Bunny’s fuzzy chees in his hands as he spoke quietly. Each word cracked her heart in another place.

‘You said it didn’t matter. You said you loved me anyway.’

‘Who cares what everyone else thinks?’

‘I love you.’

 

That fight had cut a rift between them all, one that still hadn’t recovered in almost a hundred years. 

Jack had stopped visiting and would send her sad, forlorn looks at mandatory meetings, and Bunny flat out ignored her. 

Tooth didn’t know if she’d ever get over her broken heart or betrayal, but the children were what she needed to focus on. At least she still had some happy memories.

End


End file.
